Patrick Conroy, House chaplain forced out by Paul Ryan, rescinds resignation

The Rev. Patrick Conroy has rescinded his resignation as House chaplain, saying in a letter that his initial leave-taking was without cause and had whiffs of anti-Catholicism.

Father Conroy wrote in a two-page letter to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, obtained by multiple news outlets, that he had “never been disciplined, nor reprimanded, nor have I ever heard a complaint about my ministry during my time as House chaplain.”

Here is the full letter Father Pat Conroy sent to Speaker Ryan today rescinding his resignation as House chaplain pic.twitter.com/UekWoGVykY

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However, the Jesuit priest wrote, according to The Hill, that Mr. Ryan’s chief of staff, Jonathan Burks, had told him “something like ’maybe it’s time that we had a Chaplain that wasn’t a Catholic.’”

According to Father Conroy, Mr. Burks “also mentioned my November prayer and an interview with the National Journal Daily.”

According to a separate report last week in the Hill, Rep. Mark Walker, North Carolina Republican, had said the next chaplain should be someone with a family — which would exclude Catholic priests and nuns, who take vows of celibacy.

Mr. Walker, a Baptist minister, later said he misspoke.

The three most recent House speakers — Mr. Ryan, Republican John A. Boehner, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — are all Catholic. But the Rev. Daniel Coughlin, the previous House chaplain, had been the first Roman Catholic to hold the position of chaplain.

The “November prayer” Father Conroy wrote of refers to the opening blessing he gave on a day in which the chamber debated President Trump’s tax-cut plan, which reportedly some Republican members thought too political.

The priest said: “May all members be mindful that the institutions and structures of our great nation guarantee the opportunities that have allowed some to achieve great success, while others continue to struggle. May their efforts these days guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans.”

• David Sherfinski contributed to this report.